Strap seal



Feb. 112, 193s. L, G, Hom/ATH 1,991,215 l 'STRAP SEAL Filed Janyz, 1954 Patented Feb. 12,1935 I I I .Y .UNITI-fp STATES PATENT OFFICE' STRAP `SEAL fLad. G. Horvath, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Acme Steel CompanyfChicago, Ill., a. corporation of Illinois Appneation January 29, 1934, serial No. '108,803 e v 'z claims. (c1. :a4-23) Thisinvention relates to improvementsinstrap forming thel interlocking joint by the deformaseals adapted for use in uniting the overlapping tion of the seal and strap. Another object of the ends of steel straps and the'like, such as are empresent invention is to provide an improved metalployed for reenforcing boxes or packages or for lic seal of channel form having side walls conbinding a group of articles together. For several nected by a back wall having a transverse, out- 5 years it has been the commonpractice in this art Wardly convex curvature to conform substantially to unite the overlapping ends of such reenforcing to the curvature of a binding strap to which it or binding straps by means of seals which embrace may be applied. Other objects of the invention the overlapping strap ends and which are operrelate to various features of construction and l0 ated upon by a suitable sealing tool to` cause the arrangement which will appear more fully herem.

sealV andthe strap ends to be deformed to form inafter.

an interlocking joint, as,.for example, by shear- The nature of the invention will be understood ing the lateral Aedges of the strap and seal at a from the following specification taken with the plurality of points and laterally deflecting the accompanyingdrawing in which one embodiintervening 'portions of the metal. It is somement is illustrated. i i

times desirable to vemploy steel strapping having In theaccompanying drawing,

. a. generally curvedcross-section, transversely of Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box reenthe length of the strap, so that when it is placed forced by two steel straps which are drawn taut around a box or package and drawn taut, the suralong the end portions of the box and which have A face of the strap is convexed outwardly with reoverlapping ends united by means of metallic 20 spect to the surface of the box and the lateral seals embodying the features of the present inedges of the strap tend to bite into the wood or vention. other material of which the box is formed, so that Fig- 2 iS a Perspective View, 0n an enlarged there is little tendency for the strap to be acciscale, ofthe overlapping strap ends and the open dentally removed or to catch upon surrounding channel-shaped seal of the present invention 25 objects during the movement of the box vor packbefOre it ,iS applied thereto; age. The sealswhich are preferably employed Fig. 3 is e perspective view of the overlapping are in the form of open channels which may be strap ends after the seal illustrated in Fig. 2 has placed over the overlapping strap ends with the been bent into close engagement with the surside walls of the channel extending downwardly, faces of the strap and after the'lateral edges of 30 thus permitting a sealing tool to be brought into the strap and seal have been sheared and deposition over the seal and the strap ends, prelimifleeted t0 ferm an intellOCking J'Oint: nary to actuating the sealing tool to cause it to Fig. 4 ShOWS a Vertical S'eCtiOn thleugh a DOI- bend the side walls of the seal into contact with tien 0f the Surface 0f the bOX illustrated in Fig- 1,

the under surface of the iowermost strap end showing the transverse curvature of the strap 35 and to effect 'the deformation of the seal and which causes the lateral edges thereof to engage strap end which is required to form an interclosely the,box surface; locking ljoint. "When the reenforcing strap has Fig. `5 shows a transverse section through the a curved cross section transversely of its length, overlapping strap ends with.the channel-shaped .for the purpose indicated above, it isfound that Seal of the present invention applied thereto in 40 itis dimcult to maintain an open seal in position readiness to receive the embracing portions of a on the overlapping strap end during the operasealing tool; and

tion of bringing a sealing tool into place and it Fig. 6 shows a transverse vsection through the is theprincipal purpose of the present invention completed joint on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

L to overcome this difiiculty. In Fig. 1 of the drawing there is shown a. box 45 The principal object of the `present invention is 10 having two strip steel binding straps 11 passed to provide an open, metallic channel-shaped seal` around the end portions thereof with their ends having side walls adapted to extend on opposite i overlapping and'unitedwith each other by means sides of the overlapping ends of a reenforcing of seals 12. The straps 11 are of curved cross strap and having aback wallwhichis constructed section as shown in Fig. .4., so that they have a 50 to conform substantially to the contour of the transverse curvature awayfrom the surface of uppermost strap end, so that the seal readily the box with a corresponding tendency of the latmaintains itself in position during the operation eral edges of the straps'to bite into the wood or of bringing a. sealing tool into engagement with other material of the box whenthe straps are the seal and during the subsequent operation of 'drawn taut preliminary to the application of the 55 l The improved seal 12 of the present invention has the form illustrated particularly in Figs. 2 and 5, being constructed as an open channel-shaped member, comprising a back wall 12l and a pair of side walls or flanges 12b which are themselves longitudinally curved along their lower edges as shown at 126, and which preferably converge downwardly from the back wall. The back wall 12a of the seal is curved transversely between the side walls or iianges 12b, the curvature being the same as the transverse curvature of the strap 11, so that when the ends of the strap are overlapped and the open seal is placed thereon, as shown in Fig. 5, the seal conforms more or less closely to the curvature of the uppermost strap end, depending upon the smoothness of the curvatureof the strap, and the side walls or flanges 12b extend downwardly and inwardly in proximity to the lateral edges of the strap ends, thus causing the seal to be maintained in place while the sealing toolis brought into position over the seal, preliminary to the actuation of the tool to effect the required bending and deformation of the seal and the strap ends to form the interlocking 'sealed joint shown in Fig. 3. Where the side walls of the seal converge downwardly, to assist in holding the seal in place, the seal may be placed on the strap ends by first placing it in the position shown by dotted llines in Fig. 5 and then tilting it downwardly to the` position shown by A full lines.

The sealing tool which is employed Yin forming f this interlocking joint may be of the form described and claimed in the United States patent of Messrs. MacChesney and Ott, No.'1,730,669-, dated October 8, 1929. When such a tool is operated, after being brought into position over the seal and the strap ends, the side walls 12b of the seal are first bent under'the strap ends and into close engagement with the lower surface of the lowermoststrap end, after which the continued actuation of the tool causes the lateral edges of the seal and strap* to besheared transversely as shown at 14 with the intermediate portions 15 of the seal and strap deflected laterally so that the i overlapping portions of the seal and strap interlock with each other along shoulders which extend transversely of the strap. The parts of the sealing tool which engage the seal and strap are, preferably, curved transversely to conform to the States patent of Ralph H. Norton, No. 1,260,016 dated March 19,1918. The completed joint made according to the present invention has,however, a transverse curvature corresponding to the initial transverse curvature as shown in Fig. 6. Although one form o'f the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood thatit may be constructed in various other forms coming within the scope of the appended claims. l

I claim: f r 1. A strap seal adapted to engage overlapping strap ends, comprising a channel-shaped member having a back wall of the same width as said strap ends and connected side walls, said back wall being transversely curved between 'said sid walls.

2. A strap seal adapted to engage overlapping strap ends, kcomprising a channel-shaped memof the strap and seal,

Vof the form described and claimed in the United i berhaving a back wall of the same width as said strap ends and connected side walls, said back wall being transversely curved between said side walls, said side walls converging away from said back wall.

3. A strap seal for uniting overlapping strap ends comprising a metallic member of channel 6. The combination with overlapping strap' ends which are transversely curved, of a channelshaped strap seal having 'a wall which is transversely curved-to conform to the curvature of said strap nds.

'1. The combination with overlapping strap ends having a4 transverse curvature, of a channel-shaped seal comprising a. back wall curved transversely to conform to the curvature of said strap ends and side walls depending in proximity to the lateral edges of said strap ends.

LAD. G. HORVATH. 

